The football games between Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have been few and far between. Only four have been played since the first one in 1883, and of these Harvard has won three. The scores of the first two games were the same, 4 to 0, Pennsylvania winning in 1884. The following year there was no game, but in 1886 Harvard was again victorious with a score of 28 to 0. Then came another break until 1890 when Harvard won her third game by a score of 35 to 0. Since that year there have been no games between the two university.

The game today is the first of a series of two, the second of which is to be played in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving Day of next year, in accordance with the terms of a challenge from Pennylvania. This challenge was received the first of the year, but negotiations then going on with Princeton prevented Harvard from accepting it until the last of April. The important provisions of the final agreement concerning the composition of the teams, settle the disputed questions as to amateurs, bona fide students, the time limit, and the announcement of names of players, in the most satisfactory manner possible; and it is interesting to notice that the rules on the same subjects which Yale recently allowed to be submitted to the Intercollegiate Association were essentially the same as those agreed to by Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.

The custom of having a Thanksgiving game to close the football season is one which has long been wanting at Harvard, but which is decidedly desirable. It is to be hoped that it will be continued after the present agreement with Pennsylvania comes to an end.